


His Fault

by Yikes_Writes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, steve is sad but he has good friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27138889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yikes_Writes/pseuds/Yikes_Writes
Summary: There was a rumble.The ground shook.And Steve stared death right in its face.A pack of demodogs, heading right for them.He grabbed Dustin, thought maybe, maybe he could shield him.'If this kid dies, it’s all my fault.'-Steve has been feeling all kinds of guilt over the past few years.Luckily, he has good friends.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 8
Kudos: 136





	His Fault

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ezra_mara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ezra_mara/gifts).



Steve took Max first, grabbing her around the knees and lifting. 

He didn’t know which kid was which, just picked them up and shoved them through the hole in the ground. 

No thoughts in his head besides getting the kids to safety. 

He was still dizzy from the fight, from Max’s wild driving, from being thrown into low oxygen conditions. 

He grabbed Dustin. 

The last kid to get through. 

There was a rumble. 

The ground shook. 

And Steve stared death right in its face. 

A pack of demodogs, heading right for them. 

He grabbed Dustin, thought maybe,  _ maybe _ he could shield him. 

_ If this kid dies, it’s all my fault _ . 

But the ‘dogs passed them by. 

On their way to protect from El. 

Because their plan didn’t  _ work _ . Their carefully crafted idea to help El was  _ bullshit _ . 

He pushed Dustin up to safety. 

He had brought these kids down here for  _ no reason _ . 

They had all gotten hurt for  _ no reason _ . 

All because of  _ him _ . 

-

Steve’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. 

He was trying to get himself to get up, get out of the car. 

Staring through the windshield at the small service. 

Barb’s funeral. 

The girl that died right outside his house. The girl who died in his pool. 

The girl he  _ killed _ . 

By being too preoccupied with Nancy. By being too much of a stupid fucking jock. 

_ It’s all his fault _ . 

He got out of the car, stayed mostly to himself throughout the service. 

He hugged Barb’s parents afterwards, offered his condolences. 

He got the feeling that they never really liked him. 

That’s okay. He doesn't really blame them. 

And if they knew, if they knew what he did to their Barb-

They would do  _ more _ than just  _ not like him _ . 

He spent the rest of the day in bed, thoughts of  _ your fault your fault your fault _ whipping through his brain. 

He killed Barb.

-

Steve was  _ trying  _ to think quickly. 

It was a little tricky, what with the pounding in his head, the hits he was taking  _ right _ to the gut. 

He needed to somehow  _ talk _ his way out of this. 

Which sucked because talking has  _ never _ been his strong point. 

But  _ he _ brought Robin into all of this.  _ He _ had let Erica climb through those vents to get them into the elevator.  _ He _ had helped Dustin suss out what the message meant.

Actually, he hadn’t. 

He had been too fucking  _ stupid _ to help with that. 

No. 

He had just  _ encouraged _ the translation that was happening around him. 

Had just walked three people right into the clutches of the Upside Down, and these violent goddamn Russians, and-

_ That one hurt _ .

He woke up sometime later to Robin yelling. 

“Hey, will you  _ stop yelling _ ?” 

“Steve! Oh my God! Steve!” 

She sounded, actually  _ relieved _ . 

“Are you okay?”

-

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

Robin was sitting next to him, both wrapped in thick blankets. 

They had their own ambulance, Nancy and Jonathan in the one next door. 

He had watched them take Billy off on a gurney, watched them slam a defibrillator to his body until his heart started beating again, watched them load him into the back of an ambulance, and take him off to the hospital.

The adrenaline, the heavy drugs, it was all out of his system. 

And he was crashing.

“I shouldn’t have roped you into this. I shouldn’t have talked Dustin into translating the tape, I shouldn’t have-”

“Okay, Dingus. Let’s get some things straight. I’m pretty sure  _ Dustin _ talked you into the translations. I don’t know if you’d be able to talk Dustin into  _ anything _ . And you didn’t rope me into  _ shit _ .”

“I mean, I mean with the  _ Upside Down _ . This whole fucking  _ conspiracy _ . You deserved to go your whole damn life without knowing  _ any _ of this.”

“But Steve, I know about it now. The milk has been spilled. So stop crying.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

_ Yes, it is. _

-

“Hi, welcome to Family- Nancy?” 

Nancy had stopped in the doorway, looking like a deer caught in headlights. 

“Steve. I didn’t know you were working here.”

“Yeah. You know, with the mall being all, burnt down. And stuff.” She nodded slowly, stock still in the doorway. “Can I help you find something?”

“No. Thanks. I’m just browsing.”

“Well, uh, let me know if you need help. Or ask Robin, maybe. She’s better with the recommends.” Nancy seemed to startle, stepping into the store properly.

“Thanks, Steve.” He smiled tightly at her. 

They really hadn’t talked since breaking up. 

Of course, they’d spoken in the summer, but that was less exchanging pleasantries, more  _ how do we stop the giant fleshy monster that’s trying to take over the whole world? _

Which isn’t quite the same. 

She browsed through the aisles, Steve doodling on the carbon pad next to the register. 

She smiled tightly at him, a few tapes in hand. 

“So, uh, how are you?” They hadn’t spoken since that night. Since he wandered over to her ambulance, checking in with her and Jonathan. 

“I’m okay. Just working and stuff. Obviously.”

“And how’s Billy?”

“Managing. He’s in all kindsa therapy and stuff now.”

“That’s, that’s good.” She was all stiff as he handed her her change. “It’s good to see you, Steve.”

“Yeah, Nancy. Yeah, you too.”

He  _ hated _ how shitty and awkward that had been. 

Hated that she was the person he felt closest to for the better part of a year, and now they’re stuck with light conversation and forced smiles. 

He pushed her so hard. 

Always poking and poking. 

Always too clingy, always too emotional, not emotional  _ enough _ . Too insensitive, or just too much  _ work _ . 

He doesn’t know how  _ anyone _ puts up with him. 

-

“Hey,” Billy smiled softly at him. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, now that my little nurse is here.” Steve rolled his eyes, smiling back as he sat on the bed next to Billy. 

He had brought him to his house from the military hospital. 

Billy still had a long road of healing. His scars were pulled together, and the wounds were closed, but everything was still pretty  _ rough _ . 

“Can I get you anything?” Billy reached over for him. 

His hands were scarred and rough, and he was still trying to regain feeling, the nerves having suffered  _ far _ too much damage. 

“Nah. Just sit with me.”

Steve took one of his hands, stretching his hand like the doctor had shown him. 

“Have you eaten today?”

“Nah. My stomach’s all outta whack today. Don’t know if I could keep anything down.” Steve furrowed his brows.

“Are you, can I make you something? Soup?”

“Stevie, I’m okay. One day’s not gonna kill me.” It felt like the bottom dropped out of his stomach. Something must've shown on his face because Billy was trying to sit up. “Sorry, that was a shitty joke.”

“No, I just-”

“It’s okay. Sorry.” Steve tried to gather himself. 

“Don’t like jokes about you dying. Thought you were dead for, for like a  _ week _ , you know. Before they told us you were stable.”

“Baby, it’s alright. I know it was hard on you.” Steve blinked rapidly. 

“But I mean, it’s like,  _ you _ were the one, the one in the hospital I shouldn’t,” he stood up, Billy wincing as the bed shifted. “I’m gonna make you something.”

He was holding back tears as he spread peanut butter and jelly onto saltine crackers. 

Billy had the best luck keeping it down when he felt sick. 

He felt like  _ shit _ whenever he did that. Got all mopey on Billy. 

_ Billy _ was the one trying not to die in a hospital bed. Steve was just, doing what Steve does. 

Making everything about himself. 

He brought Billy the plate, kneeling next to him in bed. 

“You okay?” Steve just shook his head, plastering on a nice smile for Billy.

“I’m fine, Bill. Just try to eat? For me?”

Billy managed three of the crackers before he heaved into the garbage bin placed next to the bed. 

Steve felt like  _ shit _ . 

Billy’s core muscles were still healing, and throwing up only made him sore, made him tired and  _ in pain _ . 

“Billy, I’m sorry.”

He shouldn’t have made Billy eat. Shouldn’t have tried to make  _ himself _ feel better by force-feeding Billy while he felt bad.

When he  _ finally _ stopped, Steve helped him to the bathroom to wash out his mouth. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Steve, it’s not your fault.”

“But you  _ said _ you didn’t feel good.”

“You’re just trying to take care of me.”

Keyword here being  _ trying _ . 

Trying and  _ failing _ at taking care of Billy. 

-

“Steve, are you busy tonight?” Dustin had thrown open the door to Family Video stomping inside. 

“I mean, no but I thought, isn’t tonight your big tournament?”

Dustin sighed dramatically. 

“The arcade is  _ closed _ .”

Dustin had been saving up for  _ months _ , using the end of the summer to mow neighbors’ lawns. 

Steve had even paid him to mow  _ his own _ lawn. 

He and the gang were going to rage for  _ hours _ , Dustin organizing a  _ special secret prize _ for whoever got the highest cumulative score. 

He had put so much  _ thought _ into everything, had been so  _ excited _ . 

And the arcade was  _ closed _ .

“Can I talk to Keith?”

“Be my guest.”

Dustin pushed into the backroom. 

Steve could hear his voice, could hear him arguing with Keith. 

He came back out, Keith following behind. 

“ _ Harrington _ , I  _ told you _ , customers aren’t allowed in the back.” He pointed to the  _ Employees Only _ sign on the door. “Can you even  _ read _ ?” Keith rolled his eyes.    
Steve studied his shoes. 

“And Henderson, I  _ told you _ , the arcade is closed for renovations. A pipe burst in the storeroom.” Dustin Huffed. “Just, rent a movie or something. But you know, don’t ask for Harrington’s recommendation.”

Keith laughed to himself as he retreated to the back. 

“Like I would ask  _ you _ for a recommendation. I know what kind of movies you like.” Steve forced a smile at him. 

“Sorry about your game night.” Dustin shrugged. 

“I thought it’d be fun. We haven’t played DnD since Will moved. It just feels  _ wrong _ without him, I guess. I thought this could bring us back to the fun spirit.”

“It’s a good idea. I’m sorry you’re gonna have to postpone.”

Steve just kinda  _ lived _ with a big ol’ bit in his stomach these days. 

But every time something like  _ this _ happened, something where his friend was sad, and Steve was completely  _ useless _ to help him, the pit seemed to grow. 

He wonders what happens when the pit gets too big.

-

Billy stretched his arms above his head, wincing slightly. 

“You okay?”

Billy blew out a breath, rubbing his chest. 

“Yeah. Just cold. It hurts.” They were standing outside, waiting for the kids to be finished with school. 

Steve drove Dustin and Max home, usually brought Billy along with him. 

Neil had been one of the flayed, the only casualty Billy said he didn’t feel bad for. 

So Max had moved with her mom into a tiny two-bedroom house. 

Billy was still staying with Steve for the time being. 

“Oh! I got a sweater in my trunk.” Steve ran around to the back of the car, unlocking the trunk and digging through. 

He kept his car pretty clean, just his bat, some jumper cables, and a go-bag. 

So he  _ should _ see the sweater right away. 

But he didn’t. 

He frantically shifted everything around. 

“No,  _ no _ .” 

The sweater  _ wasn’t _ there. 

“Fuck are you, are you  _ serious _ ?” 

He genuinely could cry. 

Billy was blowing into his hands, rubbing them together when Steve slumped back over to him. 

“Billy, I’m sorry. It’s not in there.” Billy squinted at him. 

“That’s okay.”

“I thought it was, but I must’ve taken it out,  _ I’m sorry _ .”

“You don’t have to apologize. Just, you know, come here and make it up to me.” He had a lazy smile on his face. “Come keep me warm.”

Steve wrapped himself around Billy, burying his face in his neck. 

“I wish I could keep you warmer. I wish I had that sweater.”

“Baby, I’m okay. Just achy.”

Steve made sure to turn up the heat full blast when they got back in, the kids in the backseat.

-

“ _ Fuck _ !”

The bottom of the box had given out, tapes crashing to the tiled floor. 

He  _ had _ been on his way to reshelve everything, after spending all day in the back rewinding. 

But here he was, checking each plastic tape for cracks as he tried to find something else to put them in. 

“Jesus Christ, Harrington.”

Ah, yes. That’s what he needs right now. Keith standing over him while he cleaned up the mess of tapes. 

“What’d you do  _ now _ ?”

“The box, it just fell apart.”

“You know, Robin  _ really _ went out on a limb to you to get this job.” Keith was standing over him, staring down at Steve sill kneeling on the ground. “Maybe I should just fire you both.”

“Wait,  _ no _ !”

Steve’s heart was in his throat. 

It felt like he was gonna choke on it.

“You, you can’t, I don’t care if you hate me, okay, just, just  _ don’t _ fire Robin!”

Keith  _ loved _ to do this. Dangle his measly power as manager over Steve. 

Robin said it was some kind of revenge fantasy for how shitty Steve was to him in high school. 

Steve just figures he deserves it. 

Bottom of the food chain now. That’s where he is. 

The guy that thought he was the hottest shit to walk the Earth. The guy that barely graduated. The guy that had to linger around his hometown. The guy has no life. The guy that has  _ no future _ .

“Why not? She vouched for you.” Keith was loudly eating a pack of M&Ms, crunching each one loudly between his teeth. 

“Just, just  _ don’t _ .” Steve felt like he could cry.

“Then get this cleaned up, and I’ll consider letting you both stay.”

Steve just nodded. 

He didn’t think his voice would work without cracking all over the place.

He found a crate in the stockroom, stacking the tapes as quickly as he could. 

He liked reshelving. 

The organization system made sense, and he could do it easily without having to know anything about the movies, without having to know anything besides the alphabet, and the genre sticker each tape had. 

Robin was better with customers. 

Better at making change and recommending movies. Better at talking to people without sounding like an idiot. 

But he finished reshelving, and had to retreat behind the counter. 

“You’re being weird today.”

Steve had zoned out, staring through the front windows. 

“Sorry.”

“Bad night?” he just nodded slowly. He didn’t want to tell her about Keith’s little threat. She would just go on a rampage. Probably yell at him a lot. And if Steve being a fuck up didn’t get her fired,  _ defending him _ for sure would. Plus, it’s not like it’s a  _ lie _ . Most nights are bad. “Steve, are you sure you’re okay? It feels like,” she glanced around. “It feels like you’re getting, like,  _ worse _ .”

“Sorry.” She furrowed her brows.

“That’s not something you need to apologize for, you know that, right? I’m just worried about you.”

“Sorry.” Her face pinched up even more. 

“ _ Steve _ .”

“Yeah, I, just you know. Not sleeping much.”

“I could come over? You said it’s better when there’s sound in your house. I can stomp around for a while.” He huffed a laugh through his nose, giving her the biggest smile he could muster. 

“That’s okay. I’m managing, Rob.” She raised one eyebrow. “And besides, I, uh, I won’t be home tonight.”

She made a face at him, pursing her lips so she didn’t smile. 

Billy had gotten his own apartment with the money the government had given him, a little  _ thank you for your discretion _ gift when he was released from the hospital. 

He had spent nearly a month in a coma, a month in which Steve had only left his room a handful of times. After waking up, delirious, and  _ in pain _ , he had spent the next six months in heavy rehabilitation, in daily therapy, both mental  _ and _ physical, in which Steve practically  _ lived _ at the hospital with him. 

They had bonded more than Robin could ever know, both boys spilling  _ everything  _ to one another, every dark thought, every bad memory. 

Long story short, they were inseparable.

“Then have a fun night. And  _ talk to Billy _ . Tell him you’re struggling.”

“I’m  _ not _ -”

She stomped her foot, giving him a stern look. 

“Yeah, okay.”

-

“Shit.” 

Steve  _ knew _ he had a key to Billy’s apartment. 

But it wasn’t on his key ring. 

“Are you  _ kidding me _ ?” He knocked on the door. 

It took Bily a few minutes to come get him. 

“I’m sorry, I, I lost my key.” Billy looked  _ tired _ . It was Thursday. Billy was a stockboy at Meldvald’s on Thursdays. His doctor said getting a job would be nice, that it would help him rejoin society, make him feel good to support himself,  _ all _ this shit. 

Mostly, it just made Billy’s  _ sore _ .

“It’s okay.”

“No, but, it’s not on my ring! I don’t know where it fell off, it could be  _ anywhere _ , you might have to change the locks or-”

“Steve! It’s fine. Just get in here.”

Steve snapped his jaw closed. Billy shuffled back to the couch, groaning as he sat down slowly. 

“Can I get you something? Have you eaten? I can rub your back if-”

“Harrington, just come sit with me.” Billy was giving him a little half-smile. 

Steve stumbled over to the couch, and tucked himself  _ right _ under Billy’s arm. 

“What are we watching?”

“Some soap. There’s been a marathon all evening. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” Steve leaned his head against Billy. 

He had  _ no clue _ what was going on. Had a question on the tip of his tongue, ready to ask about the plot points, the characters.

But he’s bothered Billy enough tonight, making him get up to open the door, always,  _ always _ bothering-

“Hey, where’d you go?” Billy was stroking one rough hand through his hair.

“Nowhere.”

“Robin called me from the video store.” Steve sighed, burying his face into Billy’s neck. “We’re worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’m okay.”

“Yeah, you’re  _ always _ okay.” He said it like he was  _ mad _ , like he was frustrated with Steve.

He pulled back, sliding to the other end of the couch. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry.” Billy was staring blankly at him. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“I’m  _ not mad _ . What are you even-” he cut himself off. “Steve,  _ talk to me _ . You’re getting,  _ distant _ .”

“I’m-”

“Please stop apologizing.”

Steve swallowed thickly. 

“I don’t know what’s going on with you. You’re slipping through my fingers, and I don’t know how to help you.”

“I-” Steve’s throat was closing up. “I don’t know what to do.”

Billy shifted stiffly, reaching out for Steve’s hand.

“Talk to me, Baby. You know I’ll listen.”

“I, uh, I just.” His jaw was moving, but he couldn’t form any words. 

Billy took his hands, pulling him gently. 

Steve let himself be tugged, let himself fall into Billy’s lap. 

“It’s all my fault.”

“What’s your fault?”

“ _ All of it _ .”

“Can you, maybe elaborate?”

“ _ Everything _ . It’s all my fault.” His chest felt pulled tight, and he couldn’t fucking  _ breathe _ . “Everything,  _ everything _ . My fault.”

Billy had  _ no _ fucking idea what to do. 

Steve was breathing sharply, his eyes squeezed closed. 

He had both hands in his hair, pulling roughly. 

“Steve, hey.” He took his wrists, trying to  _ stop him _ . “Steve, I need you to breathe, okay? Can you do that?” Steve shook his head. 

“Just, just try to take as deep a breath as you can, okay?”

Billy was trying to remember what his shrink had told him, the tips for dealing with  _ his own _ panic. 

But watching Steve fall apart, well. It was hard for Billy to keep it together. 

He sat with Steve, holding his hands until he opened his eyes, until he was breathing without Billy reminding him to do it. 

“Steve. Sugar.  _ Talk to me _ .”

Steve was still slumped over, still had his head in Billy’s lap. 

He turned to bury his face in Billy’s thigh. 

“Sometimes I feel like the world is crushing me. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Can you explain that to me? You said everything was your fault.”

“Like, like  _ Barb _ . She, it was my fault she died, and my fault the kids almost got hurt in the tunnels, and my fault that Dustin and Robin and Erica got stuck in the lab, and, and, and I’m so  _ bad _ at taking care of you. I can’t do  _ anything _ right.” 

Billy could feel his tears, wet patches soaking through his sweatpants. 

“You do  _ a lot _ of stuff right!”

“Keith told me he was gonna fire Robin today, because  _ I _ messed up  _ again _ .”

“ _ Fuck Keith _ . No way that creep has firing power. And maybe you should talk to Robin. Or go to your boss about him. He just likes going on a power trip with you.

“And as for, well  _ everything _ , Pretty Boy, none of that was  _ your fault _ . Barb was killed by, by a  _ monster _ -”

“At  _ my house _ , at  _ my party _ , in  _ my pool _ .”

“Still not your fault.”

“I thought she had  _ left _ , you know? I didn’t know she was out there.”

“That just proves my point! You didn’t know she was out there, you didn’t know what was going to happen. That whole  _ event _ , it had  _ nothing _ to do with you. And the kids like, fully kidnapped you to bring you to the tunnels. If anything, that’s  _ my fault _ for, you know. Doing what I did.”

Billy took a deep breath.

“I know a lot about  _ guilt _ . I know how it feels like you’re just, you’re drowning. And you’re never gonna get to the surface, but that, that  _ stuff _ . People make their own choices. You can’t control what other people do, you can just control what  _ you _ do. And  _ you _ , you do  _ nothing _ but good. You just love, and you love, and  _ you love _ . You always do what you think is best, and that’s what  _ matters _ .”

“I feel bad  _ all that time _ . Like, like right now I feel bad because, because  _ of course _ you feel guilty, and I’m saying shit that  _ doesn’t matter _ , and my problems they don’t-”

“Don’t you  _ dare _ say your problems don't matter.” Billy was tangling his fingers through Steve’s hair, playing with it gently. “Your problems  _ matter _ . They matter to me. It hurts me that you're struggling. It hurts me that I didn’t notice.”

“Billy, it’s not your fault.”

“You say that like it’s so easy. You take my guilt and you ease it. And that’s what I want for you.” Steve wasn’t crying anymore, but he was still curled up on the couch, still had his face pressed against Billy’s leg. 

“I don’t know how. I’ve been so thoroughly  _ crushed  _ under all this that I’m scared of what happens if I claw through it all.” 

“Maybe you won’t feel like shit all the time.”

“Feeling like shit is the easy part. It’s predictable.” 

“I know. It’s  _ safe _ .”

“Yeah. What do people even  _ think about _ if they aren’t thinking about all the problems of the people closest to them and finding ways to blame themselves?” Billy laughed at that. Steve could feel his belly moving next to him. 

It was a nice moment. 

“I don’t know. That’s what movies and books are for. When you’ve got shit else to think about because you’re not trapped under a mountain of guilt.”

“Probably why I’ve read so few books, then.”

“We need to start watching more movies.”

-

“We need to talk about Steve.”

“ _ Hi, Robin. It’s great to see you. How’s your day? _ ” Robin rolled her eyes. She was leaned over the counter at Family Video, flicking through a magazine. 

“He had a break down last night.”

“ _ Finally _ . He’s been hanging on by a thread for weeks,”

“Yeah, try  _ years _ .” She looked up at him. 

“What do you mean?”

“He like, unloaded  _ fully _ . He still blames himself for the girl that got killed in his backyard.”

“Wait, he thinks that’s  _ his fault _ ?”

“Yeah, and the kids in the tunnels, and also you and Dustin and Erica being brought into the whole mess. And also that he’s bad at taking care of me? Which, don’t know how he got that one. He does a  _ really _ fucking good job taking care of me.”

“Jesus. He’s like, stressed.”

“To put it lightly.”

“So, what’s up? Where do I come in?”

“I’m planning an evening. A  _ We Love Steve Harrington  _ party.”

“I can be snack duty.” He smiled at her, clapping her on the shoulder. “It just us?”

“Yeah. I figured to leave the kids out of this one.”

“Good choice.”

“Be over at seven.” She nodded once, giving him a two-finger salute. 

-

Steve was curled up, Billy spooned up behind him when there was a knock on the door. 

“Go get that, will you? I’m all stiff.” Steve turned around, looking at Billy all  _ concerned _ . “Go on. I’m okay.” 

Billy had to shove him away before he finally went to answer the door. 

“Oh, Robin, uh, hey.” She pushed one of her shopping bags into his arms.

“I was invited for an evening of bolstering you up.”

Billy came lumbering in, throwing himself down on the couch. 

“I, don’t get it.”

“Robin’s here because you need some lovin’.” Steve’s bottom lip wobbled.

“That’s really nice.”

“You deserve it.” Billy was looking at him seriously. 

Steve tucked himself into Billy’s side, Robin shoving herself next to him on the little couch. 

Billy had pulled out  _ all _ his lumpy blankets, and they had already torn into a box of cookies. 

Steve was all  _ warm _ . 

Curled up in the blankets, watching  _ The Aristocats _ . 

“Thank you, guys. For this. It means a lot.”

“Can it, Dingus. Thomas O’Malley’s gonna sing.”


End file.
